April 2009 - Lancaster Herpetological Society

Lancaster Herpetological Society Husbandry, Education, Conservation, Community

Spring 2009 Newsletter www.lancasterherp.org

The Lancaster Herpetological Society (www.lancasterherp.org) is a small club that meets once a month to discuss herps and herp-related issues. The club meets at the North Museum (www.northmuseum.org, 400 College Ave., Lancaster, PA 17603) on the 3rd Friday of every month. Meetings are open to the public, free of charge (donations accepted), and begin at 7pm. Please feel free to attend by entering through the back door (ring bell if locked). The membership requests that all children under the age of 16 be accompanied by an adult. For more information, contact Roy Mellott ([email protected]). Hope to see you there! Upcoming Meetings

Date Speaker Topic Comments

4/17/2009 Dr. Jeff Steed Herp Healthcare Manheim Pike Veterinary Hospital

5/15/2009 Michael Shrom Amphibians Captive Care Advice

6/19/2009 Members' Night Sharing Our Own Herps Bring Your Own Herp

7/17/2009 Jim White Amphibians and

Reptiles of Delmarva Author

*Meeting for Board Members at 6PM prior to club meeting in June. Upcoming Havre de Grace Herp Shows: May 2nd, June 6th, July 11th Upcoming Hamburg Herp Shows: April 25th, June 13th Upcoming Carlisle Herp Shows: May 16th

Club Happenings As always, the past three months have been very active for LHS. We started the year with our very own Zach Barton presenting a very informal slide show of the nearly fifty herps he keeps. The herps were an assortment of personal pets, educational classroom animals, rescues, and fosters. Zach also brought along a very mellow, neonate, black pine snake. The January meeting was officially a Members’ Night, but, due to the cold, only one other member, Jesse Rothacker, brought a herp-a juvenile American alligator! In February , Michael Torocco of Herpetological Associates shared his summer experiences in Mexico. His pictorial essay entitled “Herpetofauna of the Mexican Sky Islands” showed a variety of venomous and nonvenomous animals. The outstanding photos were even more remarkable when he shared that his camera was a simple point-and shoot. March brought a “return” of Dr. Walter Meshaka. Dr. Meshaka was originally scheduled to speak in November, but his presentation was delayed by inclement weather and traffic-obstructing accidents. Dr. Meshaka presented his field surveys of various PA grasslands. From his data, Dr. Meshaka concluded that large grasslands favor large snakes, largely the northern black racer, and small grasslands favor small snakes, namely the eastern garter. Dr. Meshaka further elaborated that the racer, due to its indiscriminate appetite, excluded smaller snakes from the larger habitats.



In the News and Commentary By Newsletter Editor Zach Barton The following editorial is solely the opinion of the author and should not be construed as an official position by LHS, any of its associate organizations, or any of its members. Recently, the state of New York concluded a two year investigation called Operation Shellshock. The sting largely focused on the illegal trade and harvesting of protected New York herpetofauna. Twenty-some individuals and organizations were charged with violations of the law. Some of the individuals were from other herp societies and one is even an author of herp books. The affidavit also implicated six as yet to be named individuals in Pennsylvania. According to the criminal complaint, many of the illegal transactions occurred at the Hamburg reptile shows. At the most recent Hamburg show, I personally witnessed three illegal animals for sale, clearly displayed on top of the tables. Each of the animals belonged to different dealers. I contacted the organizer of that Hamburg show, Denise Readinger, and she assured me that all vendors are informed about the prohibition of selling native PA herps. Indeed, “No Endangered, Protected Or Native PA Species Permitted” is prominently displayed on the Northwestern Berks Reptile Show & Sale homepage.

A detailed list of native PA herps and the applicable restrictions appears at the end of this newsletter immediately before the ad space. If there are any errors on this list, I apologize, but the list was by no means easy to compile. For reasons only properly understood by politicians and bureaucrats, herps fall under the jurisdiction of the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission, even though many of the reptiles and amphibians are strictly terrestrial and wouldn’t be found anywhere near a fish or a boat. Fish & Boat cryptically labels herps as “non-game species”. To compile a master list with all appropriate restrictions, I had to visit the Non-Game Regulations (Reptiles and Amphibians) webpage, the Pennsylvania Native Reptiles and Amphibians webpage, and The Endangered and Threatened Species of Pennsylvania: Fish, Amphians, & Reptiles webpage. Though this may make sense to some state government official stuck in the wilderness of cubicles and virtual space, the maze of webpages ensures only a dedicated person will discover all the regulations without making some accidental oversight.

Though it is shameful that our state government has made it so difficult to discover the regulations, ignorance of the law has never been an excuse to break the law. The law, however, is very misguided. Essentially, it was adopted under the premise that enforcing herp regulations would be difficult, so the law was crafted to make the job of the enforcers as simple as possible. Indeed, the fact that the regulations fell to Fish & Boat, which is, of course, primarily concerned with fish and boats, meant that manpower for herps was at a minimum. Fish & Boat employees quickly determined that processing paperwork to document captive bred animals would not be nearly as efficient as essentially banning virtually all native PA herps from collection, possession, sale, and trade. This also effectively bans private breeding of native PA herps. Technically, obvious captive bred morphs are allowed, though only five morphs have been officially approved. However, the regulations still apply to wild-type appearing captive bred animals (parental or offspring) that are heterozygous for a morph. A breeder who produces a litter of hets is not only in violation of the regulations, but also has no meaningful way to get rid of the animals.

The law, though easy to enforce, has several very negative implications. Though there are undoubtedly more reasons why the current regulations are ill suited, I will only include five. First, it discourages private breeding and the possibility of using individual citizens as refugia for endangered and threatened stocks. There is a legitimate debate as to whether animals in captivity are fundamentally changed by captivity, and whether said animals could be rereleased into the wild, but in my mind, some



animals, even in captivity, are better than extinct herps. Secondly, it encourages unscrupulous individuals to collect PA herps and then sell them out of state and out of Fish & Boat’s jurisdiction. Thirdly, it discourages interest in PA herps by PA citizens. When the regulations went into effect a few years ago, some individuals who were not previously breaking the law now found themselves as technical outlaws without a meaningful way of resolving the dilemma. People who had a captive interest in PA herps now had to be as secretive as possible. Any insights these individuals may have now have to stay with those individuals, fostering ignorance when shared knowledge would be more beneficial for all parties involved. Fourthly, it encourages interest in nonnative herps. Though nonnative herps are firmly established in PA herpetoculture, some of these animals invariably get released, either accidentally or purposefully, to the PA habitats, leading to potential invasive species. Lastly, it unfairly penalizes PA citizens. Many PA herps are firmly entrenched in herpetoculture throughout the nation. The fact that a host of PA species are being legally captive bred in other states according to the laws of that state still does not allow the PA citizen to buy those obviously captive bred herps. PA restrictions do not apply to the other 49 states, and there are plenty of captive (and/or farm) bred PA herps literally just a click away. The idea that we can’t bring in captive bred native PA herps from other states is legislative laziness.

In the opinion of this author, the PA herp regulations need revisited and revised. However, I do believe that the law, as it stands now, should be followed. Many of the individuals implicated in Operation Shellshock were actively collecting from wild populations. These populations are most likely vulnerable to over-exploitation and should be protected. Individuals who broke the current law should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. However, this does not preclude PA citizens and government forming a better law. Our native herps are a natural resource, which means they should be available for any reasonable activity (including the pet trade) that does not inflict permanent damage on the native populations. Conservation is not mindless preservation. Other nearby states (including Ohio and Maryland) have responsible native species laws that include the possibility of captive-bred natives. Most herpetoculturists are far more interested in healthy c.b. stock than wild-caught anyway, so in the long run, the take from wild populations will be negligible (so long as built-in precautions to limit overharvesting are in place).

Finally, there is legislation currently pending on the national level targeting “injurious species”. The bill should be openly debated in congress subcommittee shortly after the publication of this newsletter. Opinions vary considerably on the implications of the law, and undoubtedly it will be modified from its current state when and if it is ever passed. Some believe the proposed law would shut down the entire herp industry (and other branches of the pet trade as well), while others feel that it would largely be an unfunded mandate and essentially a law with little to no enforcement. Regardless, it will open herpetoculture to greater restrictions, though these restrictions may not necessarily be bad for the herp industry as a whole. The bill has the attention of the United States Association of Reptile Keepers and the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council. Both organizations feel that the proposed bill would have a deleterious effect on herpetoculture. Besides large organizations and special interest groups, a grass roots movement of letter writing to congressional representatives has started. The most recent Havre de Grace reptile show had two laptops setup so that patrons could electronically register their displeasure with the bill. No HR669.com is devoted to informing and mobilizing people about the proposed law. More information on these campaigns can be found on various reptile forums like kingsnake.com.

Government, though supposedly elected by its citizens, does not always abide by the will of its subjects. Many within herpetoculture who took the time to offer input before the PA regulations went into effect felt like their informed opinions were not respected. On a recent non-herp issue, the original



banking bailout before the ’08 election, 90% of the people who made the effort to contact their national representatives were vehemently against increasing national debt in order to “stabilize” the banking system. Again, the government did not listen. Though it can sometimes be discouraging, please take the time to express your informed opinion to government officials and bureaucrats, both on the national and local level. Don’t give in to cynicism. Make the effort to make positive change. It can’t hurt, and it just might help.

From the LHS Picture Library



ForgottenFriend.org Rescue Update Spring 2009 By Jesse Rothacker We've had several boas recently come into the rescue and found homes for a few, and still have a couple available for adoption. We also had a large Sulcata Tortoise (40+ pounds) named "French Fry" arrive at the rescue in March, and he will be staying with us at least through the summer. We briefly took care of several red tail and rainbow boas and reticulated pythons following a landlord complaint about a tenant abandonment after his tenant left town. It turned out that the landlord had a miscommunication with the tenant, who we were able to re-unite with his snakes after about a week. We also found homes for about 30 box turtles (mostly 3-toed box turtles, not our native eastern box turtle) following a cruelty bust in Lancaster County. Thanks to everyone from Lancaster Herp Society who helped with fostering needs of dozens more. To see what reptiles are available for adoption through the rescue, please visit www.forgottenfriend.org/adopt or talk to Jesse.

Forgotten Friend Receives authorization letter to work with PA native species After a long application process, Forgotten Friend finally received a letter of authorization from Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission to work with PA native reptile and amphibian species. We have been grateful for the thousands and thousands of educational herp publications PFBC provides to us free of cost, and we are looking forward to collaborating with the state on future projects. Now that we are legally able to accept native reptiles into the rescue, we are on the lookout for educational groups for placements, like classrooms, nature centers, etc. Note: we do NOT advocate removing protected herps from the wild normally, but there are situations when they cannot be returned to the wild and we are working with the state to provide the best placement for these animals. Forgotten Friend launches "Reptile Report" videos for local station After teaming up with our friends at WJTL FM 90.3 for years, Forgotten Friend started providing video programming for the station featuring reptiles and amphibians in 2009 (YES, we are providing video for a radio station.) So far we have featured many of Pennsylvania's amphibians and also some of Arizona's reptiles. We look forward to providing many more herp videos for the station's family audience, in addition to the audio "Reptile Fun Facts" they play each week on their "Kids Cookie Break" program Saturday mornings. Jesse will be cohosting the Kids Cookie Break on Saturday, May 23, 2009 from 9 AM - noon, and bringing a few reptiles into the studio. Among other things, we will be promoting the summer reading program, which is a free resource in almost every community in PA. Forgotten Friend will once again be visiting every library in Lancaster County in 2009, and many more beyond. We'll also be donating a Reptiles Magazine subscription to every library we visit, to keep reptiles in the stacks all year long. Take the ForgottenFriend.org Kids Quiz! We are always looking for new ways to get kids excited about conservation and animal-appreciation. In March we launched a Kids Quiz on ForgottenFriend.org. Now anyone, anywhere, any time can log on to ForgottenFriend.org and watch fun educational herp videos, and enter to win cool prizes by taking the Kids Quiz! Congratulations to Amy, Age 9, from Woodbridge, VA, and Thaniel, Age 9, from Lancaster, PA. They were the first two kids chosen randomly to win a Reptile Fun Pack from Forgotten Friend after entering



the March Kids Quiz. Please tell your friends about this fun new herp resource for kids. Remember, anyone can enter, because we respect our elders, but only KIDS will win!

Snake removal call for garter snake infestation We receive a number of calls every year to remove wild snakes which have found their way into homes and businesses. Jesse usually takes care of these calls as time allows, or enlists the help of LHS members (Matt Dearolf and Roy Mellot handled several snake calls through Forgotten Friend in 2008). In early April we got a call from a Lancaster resident who was new to the area. She had recently moved into a rental property on the southern end of the city and was unpleasantly surprised to find her tiny backyard infested by "dozens" of snakes, which she correctly identified as eastern garter snakes. The poor lady did not want to hurt the snakes, but she was almost in tears describing the situation. She said there is no way she would have moved in if the landlord would have told her about the snakes. Chad Arment and I were able to make a trip to her property the same day she called, which was chilly in the low or mid 50s. The backyard was quite small and the weather was too cold for snakes, but we still managed to find three garter snakes. Two were in a cinder block pile and the third was actively moving around the yard. The most likely hibernaculum was a concrete slab that was too big to move or peak under. So we still don't know if we turned up the majority of the yard's snakes, or if we barely scratched the surface. Based on the prime habitat I'd have to guess we would have seen many, many more on a warmer day, and who knows what we would have found if we could have looked under the concrete slab. Anyone who would be interested in a follow-up visit can contact Jesse for details. Website The website continues to be a work in progress. Recently, a newsletter archive was established on the website. As a result, the newsletter editor has started to install numerous hyperlinks in the electronic format of the newsletter where appropriate. If you have ideas for the website, or wish to contribute something directly (photos, etc…), please contact Chad Arment ([email protected]). Requests LHS exists solely as a volunteer organization. The club would not survive without the constant and continual input of its members. Arranging speakers, organizing field trips, and producing the newsletter take volunteered time. If you have ideas for and are willing to take the lead in arranging speakers or field trips, please contact Roy Mellott ([email protected]). If you wish to contribute to the newsletter, please contact Zach Barton ([email protected]). Possible original contributions include: book reviews; species care sheets; notes from a field herping trip; herp news summaries; and opinionated essays. The deadline for the Spring 2009 Newsletter is approaching fast!



Endangered (No collection, possession, sale, or trade) Kirtland’s Snake Eastern Massasauga Bog Turtle New Jersey Chorus Frog Coastal Plain Leopard Frog Eastern Mud Salamander Threatened (No collection, possession, sale, or trade) Rough Green Snake Northern Red-bellied Turtle Green Salamander No Open Season (No collection, possession, sale, or trade) Northern Coal Skink Broadhead Skink Northern Fence Lizard Eastern Worm Snake Eastern Hognose Smooth Green Snake Queen Snake Shorthead Garter Eastern Ribbon Mountain Earth Snake Smooth Earth Snake Spotted Turtle Blanding’s Turtle Wood Turtle Eastern Box Turtle Northern Cricket Frog Mountain Chorus Frog Upland Chorus Frog Western Chorus Frog Jefferson Salamander Marbled Salamander Eastern Hellbender Four-toed Salamander Mudpuppy Ravine Salamander

Possession Limit of One (No sale or trade) Five-lined Skink Northern Black Racer Eastern (Black) Rat Snake Eastern Milk Northern Water Snake Northern Brown Snake Northern Redbelly Snake Eastern Garter Midland Smooth Softshell Turtle Eastern Spiny Softshell Turtle Midland Painted Turtle Eastern Painted Turtle Map Turtle Eastern Mud Turtle Stinkpot Eastern American Toad Fowler’s Toad Gray Treefrog Northern Spring Peeper Pickerel Frog Northern Leopard Frog Wood Frog Eastern Spadefoot Spotted Salamander Tiger Salamander Dusky Salamander Seal Salamander Mountain Dusky Salamander Nothern Two-lined Salamander Longtail Salamander Eastern Red-spotted Newt Redback Salamander Slimy Salamander Valley and Ridge Salamander Wehrle’s Salamander Northern Red Salamander Other Restrictions (Varies) Bullfrog Green Frog Snapping Turtle Northern Copperhead Timber Rattlesnake



Lancaster Herpetological Society would like to thank our sponsors and partner organizations:

April 2009 - Lancaster Herpetological Society

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